Werewolf Therapeutics Presents First Preclinical Data Highlighting IL-10 INDUKINE Molecules as a Potential Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at AAI Annual Meeting

First Data Demonstrating Application of PREDATOR Platform in Immune-Mediated Diseases

WATERTOWN, Mass., April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company” or “Werewolf”) (Nasdaq: HOWL) today announced a poster presenting preclinical data characterizing conditionally-activated IL-10 INDUKINE molecules for the treatment of colitis in animal models, a novel approach leveraging its PREDATOR protein engineering platform, at IMMUNOLOGY^TM 2024, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) taking place May 3-7 in Chicago, Illinois.

“Werewolf is excited to share these preliminary data supporting our unique conditionally active cytokine immunotherapy approach for the potential treatment of IBD, as we extend applications of our platform from cancer to the immunology and inflammation (I&I) landscape,” said Daniel J. Hicklin, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Werewolf. “Despite progress in the treatment of IBD, certain patient subsets either fail to respond or lose responsiveness to existing therapies, underscoring a clear need for additional treatment options.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IBD is a term that encompasses two conditions, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), that are characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Prolonged inflammation results in damage to the GI tract. While the exact cause of IBD is unknown, autoimmune and immune-mediated factors have been shown to contribute to the severity of the disease. A groundbreaking study led by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation finds that IBD is diagnosed in more than 0.7% of Americans, with 721 cases per 100,000 people, or nearly 1 in 100.

Results highlighting Werewolf’s findings are summarized in a poster titled, “Development of Conditionally Active IL-10 INDUKINE^TM Molecules for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease” (Board #B906).

Key takeaways are that Werewolf’s IL-10 INDUKINE molecules:

• Contain human IL-10, a blocking domain, and a half-life extension domain tethered together by proprietary protease-sensitive linkers that are cleaved by UC and Crohn’s human colon samples;
• Are peripherally inactive and conditionally active in the inflamed colon, where the IL-10 is released locally due to cleavage of the linkers in the dysregulated protease milieu; and
• Prevent weight loss and intestinal histological damage and inhibit inflammatory cytokine production within the colon in mouse models of colitis.